What the Future Holds
by mistresscorpio
Summary: My take on what happens after the finale. My first writing effort, please read and review! Chapter 6 now up, sorry about the delay in updating!
1. Chapter 1

Daniel was nervous.

He was sitting at the desk in his room at London's Ritz Hotel, having prepared for his dinner date with Betty. His outfit, meticulous. His cologne, understated. His nerves? In overdrive.

Daniel was comfortable as could be with Betty. That is, the Betty he had come to know, the cute, earnest, dedicated Meade employee and very dear friend. Betty, however, had undergone a metamorphosis before his eyes in the past year - she now embodied the image of the confident businesswoman she'd aspired to when she first came to work for him. This Betty had him mixed up inside, reassessing his notions about her, their friendship and processing the one feeling that cut through everything else: he wanted, _needed_ her in his life.

Betty was meeting him at the restaurant downstairs in a half hour, a fact he noted by looking at his watch _for the umpteenth time_. His right leg bounced rapidly and his fingers drummed on the desk, as he stared absently into space, replaying the events of the day in his head.

* * *

_He'd felt a little like a stalker, hanging outside her office building waiting for her to emerge. She was striding along, confidently, radiantly and it took his breath away a little. He hadn't seen her in a month. She was fully engaged in her cellphone conversation when she crashed full steam into him.__ Well, he _had_ placed himself in her path...  
__  
__"Daniel!" she exclaimed. Her face flickered surprised recognition, then almost immediately closed down in guarded apprehension. He winced inwardly, even as he grinned sheepishly. _I deserve that_, he thought.__  
__  
__"I'll call you back, Hilda," she said. "Yes, __that__ Daniel... okay... oKAY... bye, Hilda!" she ended on an exaggerated note and ended the call.__  
__  
__"Hi, Betty. It's great to see you," he said.__  
__  
__"Likewise," she said, crisply, guard still up. She was not smiling. He'd hurt her by not saying goodbye when she left New York. "Here on business?"__  
__  
__"Not exactly. I resigned from _Mode_ last week. Wilhelmena is Editor-in-Chief now."__  
__  
__Her eyes widened. "What? Why?" she said, her anger forgotten.__  
__  
__"Can we grab a coffee? I'll fill you in," he said.__  
__  
__"I only have a minute, I'm on my way out to a meeting. Let's sit over here..."__  
__  
__He'd explained what happened and why, all the while taking in the new glasses, the new clothing, the new attitude radiating off of Betty. She relaxed as they talked and smiled after he apologized. She seemed pleased when he said he'd be sticking around London a while, and she smiled shyly at his invitation to dinner, but hopped up when the bell tower rang, needing to hurry off to her appointment.__  
__  
__On the landing below, she whirled around and beamed in his direction. The butterflies flitted in his belly intensely and he smiled widely in return. He watched the crimson of her coat disappear into the crowd, then turned and headed back to his hotel, a bounce in his step._

* * *

Quarter to eight.  
_  
__Maybe I'll head on down for a drink before she gets here._ He grabbed his room key and his wallet, started to pick up his cell phone and thought the better of it. No interruptions. He plugged the phone back into its charger on the desk and headed out the door.

* * *

Betty sat at the restaurant bar, one toe tapping on her barstool railing. She had taken off work early that day, a first since she had taken on the massive endeavor of launching a magazine. It was typical for her to be returning emails back at her flat, well into the evening hours.

It wasn't the least bit exhausting, as this job was her dream and she was well prepared for the challenge. She relied her years and years of binders brimming with ideas, not to mention her copious notes from her time at _Mode_. Being an assistant to the editor-in-chief, then junior features editor had put Betty in a unique position to educate herself in how each department operated, and she had used her time wisely. She had journal upon journal of lessons learned on marketing, advertising, revenue streams, print production, circulation and human resources.

She'd not had much of a social life since her move, but she didn't expect one either. She didn't want any distractions with the magazine's launch only three short months away.

But seeing Daniel today... Betty smiled a little as she took a sip of her cocktail. She hadn't allowed herself to think about how much she'd missed him. And Betty didn't dare let herself dwell on what Claire Meade said to her at her going away party... _she had to have been teasing. Though she wasn't one to tease... not about that. Claire knew how hard things were between her and Daniel at the time. She had to be mistaken, yeah, that's it. Just a misunderstanding._ This wasn't the first time Betty had rationalized all this in her head. _Daniel couldn't be interested in her. And she hadn't allowed herself to look upon her boss and friend through a lens of anything more than..._

"Betty?"

She turned. There stood Daniel, smiling and openly admiring her appearance. Betty had worn a simple blue sleeveless shift, her hair loose and full about her shoulders. She tamped down the little thrill that went up her spine from the welcome flirtation and took another sip of her drink. "You look wonderful," he said.

"Not so bad yourself, Mr. Meade," she playfully countered, looking Daniel over in a sharp dark suit and an emerald tie. She put out her arm and Daniel slid into a quick hug and then onto the barstool next to her. He motioned for the bartender and ordered himself a vodka on the rocks. "Another for you?" he asked.

"No, I'm good for now."

"So tell me all about the job," he said brightly. Betty relaxed. _It's just Daniel,_ she thought. She launched into an animated description of what it was like working with a start-up, the trials and tribulations of staffing, getting to know her way around London, getting used to British colloquialisms. "In a way," she observed, "I'm a fish out of water as much as when I arrived at _Mode_."

"Oh, I don't believe that for a second," Daniel said. They were seated at their table now, sipping a lovely Cabernet and were well into their entrees. He'd been quiet mostly, taking her all in and letting her bombard him with her boundless enthusiasm and her excitement about the challenges ahead of her. He was almost jealous, wishing he had something he was that passionate about. _Besides the obvious, _he thought.

"Jeez, listen to me go on and on," she said. "Tell me how Wilhelmina took the news that you were stepping down. And how was your mom with all of this?"

"You know with all that Botox in her face, I still think Wilhelmina managed something approximating actual emotion on her face when I told her," Daniel said. They both laughed and continued on chatting through dessert and coffee. He filled her in on the past month's goings on with Tyler, his mom and Alexis, regaled Betty with Amanda's joy at finding her father, and woe at being banned from the Meade building due to her sticky fingers, and how Marc seemed to be filling the shoes of the diva herself as the defacto Creative Director. Willie was going to hold that carrot out to him a good long while before she gave in and awarded Marc the position in an official capacity.

It was almost 10:30, but it was Friday and Daniel didn't want the night to end quite yet. "So what are your plans for tomorrow," he asked. "I don't want to keep you out too late, but I am so full right now, I was thinking about taking a little walk."

"I'd like that," Betty smiled. "It's a little chilly but I checked my coat; I just need to go grab it."

"Mine is up in my room," said Daniel. "Come with me to get it?"

"Sure."

_Calm down, Meade. Don't get any ideas,_ Daniel thought.

They rode up silently in the elevator walked down the hall and into Daniel's suite.

"This is gorgeous," Betty said. She made a beeline to the window to see the view. "You know, I haven't done much sightseeing, I've been so busy at work."

"Didn't you get to check out the sights when you were here for Fashion Week and Hilda's bachelorette party?" Daniel asked.

"Not much," Betty said. "I saw the river and the Eye but I was walking and arguing with Gio the one chance I got to walk around."

"Ah," said Daniel. "Well, I'm ready if you want to head out."

Betty pushed open the door to the balcony and stood outside staring at the street below. Daniel removed his coat and stepped out on the balcony next to her, placing his coat around her shoulders as he did. "Why did you really come to London, Daniel?" she asked.

He sighed and rubbed his face briskly. _You knew this was coming._ "I told you earlier. I wanted to strike out on my own, you know, see if I can accomplish something without using my family connections to hand it to me."

"And you needed to come to London to do that?"

"Well, I was looking for a change," Daniel started weakly.

Betty turned to face him. Strands of hair swirled about her face in the light night breeze. Her eyes were huge pools as she fixed her gaze intently upon him.

"And I hadn't said a proper goodbye to you," he whispered.

"Do you know how much that hurt, Daniel?" said Betty. "I thought we were friends. I've always been there for you in your toughest moments... you couldn't even be happy for me? I left everything I knew behind... my family, my friends..."

"You left me." Daniel had turned toward the street, but he was looking up at the sky. In the dim light, she could see his jaw clenching hard.

"Is that what you think?" she pressed. "This wasn't about you!"

"Don't you think I know that?" he said, raising his voice. "I'm not saying what I felt was rational. Your leaving..." Daniel took a breath and continued quietly. "It hurt. More than I expected."

Betty looked out at the street too. "That's what your mom said."

"What did my mom say?"

"That you had a hard time letting me go and... that she didn't think you knew why."

He hesitated a moment. "I didn't at the time, but I do now." His voice had gotten lower, and Betty shivered although she wasn't cold. She gave a toss of her head and glared at him. "You wanna let me in on the big mystery?" she said.

Daniel turned and looked at her as intensely as she had looked at him moments ago. His blue eyes were dark in this light, and he took a half step closer to her. Betty felt her breath catch a little as he took her small hands in his large ones. His palms were remarkably warm in the cool night. His thumbs stroked the backs of her hands.

"You're my best friend, Betty. And I really care about you. I don't want to lose you as a friend, but..."

She quickly pulled her hands out of his and turned away. He stepped closer, their bodies touching and she could feel the hammering of his heart in his chest. _Ohmigod, is he saying what I think he's saying?_

"I... I don't want to lose you as a friend either," she whispered.

Daniel stepped around to face Betty once more. Her arms hung loose at her sides. Daniel tipped his head and gently, with as much tenderness as he could muster, kissed the space between Betty's cheek and mouth, again in front of her ear and again behind her ear at her hairline. Then he took a step back and exhaled.

Betty's heart was hammering in her chest now. Her breathing was shallow and her cheeks were flushed. "How do you expect me to respond to this?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I have no expectations of you, Betty. I just wanted to let you know how I feel. Just think about it, okay?"

"Yeah... um, I should get going now," she said.

"I understand." Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, do you want me to call down for a cab for you?" he asked as they entered the room and walked towards the door. She slipped off his coat and rubbed her bare arms.

"No, they stop all the time, even this late. I'll check in with the concierge before I get my coat."

"Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Give me a little time, Daniel."

"Okay... sure." he said, his heart sinking.

"Oh don't be like that. I told you before... I'm glad you're here. I tell you what... how about brunch on Sunday about 10?" she offered.

He smiled bashfully, embarrassed for pouting. "Sounds great. Shoot me a text and let me know where you want to meet up."

He opened the door for her and leaned against it's edge. She took his hand and looked up at him. "Goodnight, Daniel."

"Goodnight, Betty." He let her fingers slip from his as she stepped into the hallway and walked away. He let the door close and leaned on it. Then he went into the bathroom, flipped on the overhead and stared at himself in the mirror. _You're gonna have to work for this, Meade. You have to earn her affection. You're gonna have to woo her. _He chuckled as he turned off the bathroom light and walked back into his room and out to the balcony. A cab was pulling to the curb and a doorman was opening the cab door for Betty to get in. She had one foot in the cab when she turned her head to look up towards Daniel. He waved a silly royal wave at her, twisting his hand from side to side at the wrist. She laughed out loud and returned the silly gesture before ducking into the cab. It pulled onto the street and into the night. Daniel went back into his room after it disappeared from view.

"Woo woo," he said out loud, to the empty room, chuckling at his own silly self.


	2. Chapter 2

_Um, wow. I didn't expect such a positive response so soon. Yes, for those who have asked, this is my first attempt ever at writing, so the feedback is much appreciated. I'm kind of banging these out because I want to see the story progress as much as anyone else. I'm pretty sad about the end of the show, but I'm happy to flex my creative wings. The story is a little of an obsession for me, so you may notice rapid-fire chapters posted and then nothing for a while. I have a toddler to keep up with. I'm not using any beta readers, so feel free to comment on anything you see that needs correcting. If I get some time tonight, I'll probably bang out a third chapter, but no promises. Reviews are my fuel, so keep em coming, good or bad. Thanks!_

* * *

Chapter 2

Betty had spent an incredibly annoying night trying to sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying to will her brain to _shut off already_ most of the night. Her thoughts was like a possessed video player, running forwards, backwards, hopping all over the place and always analyzing, analyzing... when she did drop off, it was in fits and starts that she would repeatedly wake up, her rebel brain betraying her by spinning up once again. When the morning came, Betty cursed herself for purchasing the gauzy pale curtains that covered her bedroom windows. The light of a new morning was not a welcome arrival. She threw off the covers and stomped into the her kitchenette to start a pot of coffee. She was _going to need to soak her head a tub of coffee_ before she felt alive and productive this morning.

It was overcast and rainy; a perfect day to cloister herself inside the apartment and get some work done. After a shower, an obscene amount of coffee and a whole-wheat toasted bagel, she was feeling a little more of this world. She sat cross-legged on her couch and opened up her laptop. Going immediately to her email, she could see three messages from Hilda.

The first subject line: Call me!!

The second subject line: CALL ME DAMMIT!!

The third subject line: CALL ME 1ST THING BITCH!!

_Hilda doesn't have the hang of this time difference_, Betty thought. That was one reason Betty turned off her mobile phone the moment she entered her apartment in the evening after work; Hilda would call and repeatedly be surprised Betty was already in bed for the night. If she called Hilda right now, at this moment, her big sister would answer the phone with a _dammit, SOMEbody better be DEAD, or their GONNA BE_. Betty set herself a reminder in her time management program to call Hilda at 1:00, which would be 8AM on the east coast of the US. _Then she could listen to Hilda cuss her out for waking her up so early on a Saturday_. Betty smiled to herself and immersed herself in her work.

* * *

Betty woke up when her computer alarm went off. She started suddenly and a stack of papers slid off her lap onto the floor. She rolled her eyes, sighed and slid her body, stiff from falling asleep in an odd postition, off the couch to pick the pile. With one hand she pawed the alarm off on her computer, and shuffled off to the kitchen to get some water. Her throat was dry from falling asleep with her head back and mouth open. When she returned from the kitchen, her Skype application was blinging on the screen with an incoming video call. Betty ran her fingers through her hair and accepted the call from Hilda.

"Top of the morning, Betty!" sang Hilda's slightly pixelated image on the screen. It was first thing in the morning for her but she already had a full face of makeup on.

"Afternoon for me, Hilda... and I'm in the U.K., not Ireland," said Betty.

"Whateva," said Hilda. "So I told you to caaalll meeee. What happened?"

"Well, Daniel's in London."

"Is that so?" Hilda rolled her eyes innocently.

Betty's eyes narrowed. "Hilda... what do you know?"

"Nuthing, Betty... I don't have the foggiest idea of what you could be talking about." Betty heard a muffled male voice come from the screen. "Hilda, stop messing with your sister and tell her." Bobby was apparently still a lump in bed behind her sister.

"Tell me what?" demanded Betty.

"The closing for our apartment is next Thursday!" said Hilda. "I'm so excited... can you see all the boxes in here? Trying to live out of boxes before we move is such a pain in the ass, Betty!" Betty could see Bobby throw off the covers with his back to the screen. Then he stood up and stretched.

"AAAAUGHHH, FOR THE LOVE OF... HILDA!"

"Whaaaaaaat? You're so CRANKY in the morning."

"Well, speaking of ass," Betty said through her teeth, "could you make sure your husband has some PANTS on before you do a live broadcast???"

"Sorry, Betty..." intoned Bobby from the background. "That's what I'M talkin' 'bout," said Hilda throwing an admiring glance over her shoulder at her new husband.

Betty cast her eyes away from the screen. "Could you please... 1) tell me when Bobby is decent and 2) tell me what you know about Daniel already?"

"He came to the house here, about 15 minutes after you left for the airport, Betty."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah," Hilda's face was serious now. "Betty, he was all broken up. I guess his towncar hit traffic or something on his way here and he was hoping to catch you. He had had a couple drinks, y'know? So I don't think he was at his best. Betty, he was so sad..."

"Well, why didn't he call me or something?" Betty said, irritated now. "I had my phone on until the moment the flight attendant asked us to turn it off."

Hilda shrugged. "We were all in the house. Papi sat out on he stoop with him for like two hours. I think Daniel was crying..."

Betty was taken aback, but she wasn't going to let that show. "Well, he's always been sloppy when he's had too much to drink."

Hilda looked at her sister pointedly. "Betty... you think Papi would have given Daniel the time of day if all he was was drunk? Hell, we were all sad and depressed right after you left. But that man was wrecked, and I don't mean drunk-wrecked," Hilda drew herself up a little and looked at her nails. "If you ask me, that man is in love."

Betty blinked at the screen. "Hilda," she whined, feeling every bit the baby sister. "Don't you start too."

"Too?" Hilda's head cocked. "Who is 'too'?" _I guess she's disappointed that she isn't the first to tell me,_ thought Betty.

"Daniel's mom alluded to something like that at my going away party."

"Well, there you have it. So what happened when you saw him yesterday."

"We went to dinner." Betty wasn't feeling much like talking anymore.

"And???" Hilda demanded.

"Nothing happened! I mean, he kinda told me he cared about me, but... I - I don't know that I'm ready for all of this, Hilda!"

"Daniel flew halfway across the world for you and you don't know??" said Hilda. "You've been friends almost from get-go. You've been there for each other _always_ in the past four years... almost more than you've been there for your own sister..." Hilda put on a face, but Betty wasn't taking the obvious bait. "You mean it never occurred to you to even consider the man?"

"Um, I'm not exactly his type, Hilda. Have you seen the six-foot tall glamazon model skeletons he's used to bedding?"

"I think his time with whatsername, changed him, dontcha think?"

"Molly. His wife."

"Oh well, she dead now, so no offense taken, amirite?" Betty gave Hilda a disgusted look. "ANYway... I don't think Daniel is feeding much off the skin and bone circuit these days, and he's definitely become the type to look beyond the surface. Not that your surface isn't bangin' these days..." Hilda said.

"You know, I messed this up before... I tried to make a fresh start, after the whole debacle with Henry and Gio... told myself, no, _promised_ myself no romantic entanglements, and what did I do? Jumped headlong into a crush on a guy in my building. Then I got into a relationship with Matt and you see how _that _nearly tanked my career when we were fighting," Betty ranted. "I've got way too much riding on this opportunity to threaten it with anything, ANYthing that will derail it!!"

"I dunno, Betty. Can't you pick Daniel's brain for a little of that editor-in-chief mojo? I mean, I know he got the job from his daddy, but he's had to have picked up something on the job, right? 'Sides, it ain't like he's got nothing to do in London but pine for your ass, working girl." Hilda began an off key warble of Carly Simon's "Let the River Run."

"You're singing sucks," Betty mumbled.

"Bobby thinks my voice is like an angel." Hilda said, airily.

"He's delusional," Betty's head was buzzing. "I need to think. You mind if I call you later?"

"Well we're going out to look at new furniture with Justin and Austin. Catch me during the week," Hilda's expression softened. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yes, Hilda. Like I said... I just need to think."

"Well, just so you know, Papi agrees with me." There was movement behind Hilda's image again. "And so does Bobby, right baby?"

"Anything you say, baby..." said Bobby, coming up behind Hilda.

Bobby leaned over and looked into the screen. "Hi Betty, sorry about before,"

"It's okay," Betty said with a small smile. Bobby could see she looked troubled, but he wasn't going to butt in on the sister's discussion.

"You take care of yourself, chipmunk." he said, and winked.

"You too, Bobby. Bye, Hilda. Give my love to Papi and Justin."

"Bye Betty. Love you, mwah, mwah, mwah!" Hilda threw kisses at the screen.

Betty smiled at the screen, threw a kiss back and closed out the video call. She needed to eat, she needed to think and she needed to get back to work, stat. First she called up tomorrow's weather on the computer. It was going to be sunny and warm starting early on Sunday and she nodded to herself. She clinked on her mobile and saw no calls or texts. She wasn't expecting any from work, but she wasn't going to acknowledge the little twinge of disappointment that Daniel hadn't tried to contact her. Of course, she'd asked for space the night before. _Head full of contradictions_, she thought. _I need to clear this business up now._

She texted Daniel an address for an outdoor cafe near the river. He texted back almost immediately "It's a date. Cya there at 10!"

"No romantic entanglements, my ass..." she growled out loud to nobody in particular.


	3. Chapter 3

_Again, many thanks for the positive feedback. I plan on drawing this story out a little bit, as I would have liked to have seen on the show. I still am pretty much banging these out and proofreading myself so let me know of any egregious errors. _- MS

Chapter 3

Sunday morning.

Betty chose a black boatneck tee, a pair of slim fit khaki slacks, and some ballet flats to wear to her brunch with Daniel. Christina had done a wonderful job of designing Betty's new wardrobe. Betty simply provided her with a budget and Christina responded with a detailed shopping guide. Betty had been following it faithfully, and just jazzed it up every once in a while with her own accessories.

She was lost in thought as she applied a few touches of makeup. Since Daniel showed up in London, no matter what she was doing she'd find her mind repeatedly drawn to thoughts of him, like a tongue to the space of a recently lost tooth.

Granted, she was flattered as all get out. Daniel had given up his position at Mode and his life in New York, to start over... _and to be with me?_ Claire Meade had hinted at the latter, but Betty couldn't help but feel like this was all so sudden. Or was it? _Was there something there all along, but I just wouldn't allow myself to notice?_ _Had Daniel been dropping hints about his feelings the entire time?_

_"you're better than any model... you have to believe me when I say this - you are beautiful... you're always there for everyone else - let me be there for you...I can't imagine being here without you..."_

His reaction to her leaving was like a punch in the gut. Although in retrospect, his was not so far-fetched a response when Betty thought of the times she had attempted to move on before... when she made the move to MYW, when she had left him behind at _Player_ to go back to _Mode_, when she thought she was getting a position with the _New York Review_... each time they thought they were saying goodbye had been difficult for them both. He'd let her go this time without so much as a goodbye, but now, just a month later, he was here. Her best friend, and maybe something more?

How did this happen?

Betty and Daniel started out in similar boats when they started at Mode... inexperienced, not trusted, surrounded by doubters, with opportunists waiting in the wings to take their place should they fail. Once they had gotten past their initial disastrous start, they had become unusually loyal and reliant on each other, each helping the other to shine. And there were growing pains, _god, were there growing pains._ The push and pull of the enmeshment into each other's personal life sometimes helped, sometimes hurt, especially when one had the clarity to see the other heading down an inadvisable path. Occasionally they tripped up, certainly breaching the boundaries of their working relationship, often crossing the lines of friendship, but always with the very best intentions of keeping the other safe from personal or professional harm. _Why does that sound familiar? "Because, that's love, right? When you know somebody better than they do and you would do anything in the world to protect them..."_

_Was that it? I mean, that kind of describes us..._ _I mean, of course, I love him... but am I 'in love' with him? I just don't know..._ then the unhelpful, obtrusive thoughts began to churn up in Betty's consciousness... _Am I really his type? I mean, Molly wasn't a conventional beauty, but after she was gone, he fell into bed with Amanda again... followed by the doltish Trista..._ Betty rolled her eyes._  
__  
__But that's not fair - I was the one who _encouraged_ him to get back out there, didn't I? Meanwhile, I was in the middle of whatever love/hate thing I had with Matt at the time._ Quite frankly, when in the past four years hadn't _she herself_ been involved or infatuated with someone else? Daniel didn't have much of an opening even if he'd wanted to make his feelings known before now.

Most of all, there was the other night. He'd made it clear how he felt, that was for sure. _But how do I feel? Attracted, yes. That isn't hard, especially now, with the boss/employee relationship behind them._ Having the full klieg lights of Daniel Meade's romantic attention turned on her was intoxicating and exciting and _whoa_, when he'd kissed her face everywhere but her lips, it was pretty _arousing_. It made her head buzz with anticipation. She rather liked this side of Daniel and could grow to like it a lot more. She smiled dreamily into the mirror as she swept up her hair into a loose ponytail.  
_  
__HEY, snap out of it, Suarez! Your CAREER, remember?_ Betty was going to need to eat, sleep and live the next three months in a runup the launch of this magazine. _That_ is what she is here for... this crazy fortune of an enormous opportunity that dropped in her lap. Her life's dream, her professional goal, her purpose... how many people get that chance after only four years in the business?? She simply could not disappoint... not Mr. Dunne, not her family, and mostly not herself. _Even if that means disappointing Daniel...__  
__  
_She grabbed her purse and keys and flew out the door.

* * *

When Betty showed up at the cafe, Daniel was already seated at an outside table. He was dressed in jeans and a fitted t-shirt, that was _showing off his shoulders very nicely_, thought Betty.

"Good morning," she sang out, and he turned his face up to her and smiled. "And a good morning to you too," he said, rising from his chair to pull hers out for her. A waiter came over to take their order. "What's good here?" asked Daniel.

"Just about everything is great," Betty said. "I'll have the spinach and swiss egg white omelet and a mimosa, please."

"Very good, and you sir?" inquired the waiter.

"I'll have the eggs benedict and a side of bacon, extra crispy... and a bloody mary, please."

The waiter nodded and took off to get their drinks. "You do know that eggs benedict comes with canadian bacon, right?" asked Betty.

"Canadian bacon is ham where I come from," said Daniel.

"Bloody Yank," Betty teased, and he chuckled in return.

"Hey, now. Be nice or I won't share my yummy bacon with you," Daniel warned.

Betty had noticed a bag leaning under the table when she had arrived. She tapped it with her toe. "What's all this?"

"I picked up a bunch of Sunday papers; I'm going to read through the job listings later," said Daniel.

"Why kill all the trees? You can get that info online. Didn't you bring your laptop with you?" asked Betty.

"Wait, what business was that you say you work in and for how many years now?" said Daniel, mockingly. "Oh that's right... _publishing! _aka, the tree-killing business?" They both burst into laughter.

"Touché," said Betty.

"I just like to hold an actual newspaper in my hand and read it cover to cover on Sundays." Daniel said, as he looked out toward the river. "I have this image of my dad from when I was a kid. He would sit in his wingback chair in his study and read the paper and I'd sit on the floor nearby with my coloring books. He'd talk to me about politics and the news of the day, and even though I was too young to understand any of it, I liked hearing his voice and how it was just him and me." Daniel's voice was wistful.

"Sounds like a good memory," Betty said. "You haven't talked about your father in a long time."

"Yeah, I guess something about being here and all the regal and proper trappings of London just reminds me of him," said Daniel. "Anyway, Dr. Suarez, I didn't come here to lay on your couch and talk about my childhood."

Their drinks came, and they fell silent for a few moments as they sipped and looked out at the water.

"Talked to Hilda yesterday," Betty said, pushing wisps of her hair out of her face. "She told me you stopped by the house after I left for the airport."

Still turned toward the water, Daniel made a face and looked down at his hands. "Not one of my better moments," he sighed.

"It's okay," Betty said. "It would have been welcome information sooner, you know... me going this whole time thinking you hated my guts and all."

Daniel turned and fixed his gaze on her. In the light of day, his eyes were impossibly blue. "You _know_ that's not true." he said.

"Frankly, I blame Hilda for that," she continued brightly, as though he'd never responded. "Bobby must be having some effect on her, because that woman couldn't keep something quiet if her life depended on it!" Her voice was losing that false brightness and now sounded quite sad. "Not that it even occurred to me to ask her... I had to make a conscious effort... not to think about you."

It was just beginning to dawn on Daniel exactly how much he had hurt Betty by withdrawing so thoroughly and abruptly after her resignation. He had been so lost in his own feelings, he didn't consider leaving was painful for her as well... "Betty, I am so sorry..." he began, but just then their food arrived. Daniel waited for the waiter to disappear back inside to continue, but Betty held up her hand, cutting him off.

"I'm not asking for an apology, Daniel," she said. I'm trying to explain myself... and what _I'm_ feeling right now."

Daniel was nervous as he gulped a mouthful of his drink.

"I've got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here and I can either meet the challenge or make a spectacular failure of it," Betty said, her voice firm. "I intend to meet the challenge. I've got three months to do it. I _can not_ have any distractions, and I won't make time for anything that isn't about getting this magazine launched."

"You sound like Wilhelmena," groused Daniel. He regretted his words the instant they left his mouth.

Betty dropped her fork on her plate, and her back stiffened. "Well, I certainly didn't learn about discipline from you, Daniel," she said flatly. _It's still all about him and his needs,_ thought Betty.

Daniel tool a deep breath. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. You came here to do a job and I know you're going to be a huge success with it." Betty's expression softened, but she cast her eyes downward. "I won't do anything to stand in your way. You have my full and unwavering support. If there's anything I can do to help, I'm here for you," Daniel said. He was being sincere, but he noticed the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of Betty's mouth. "C'mon, truce?" he said.

Betty looked up. Daniel was waving a slice of bacon. She couldn't help it, she broke into a huge smile. "You can be a real jerk, you know," she said, shaking her head. She snatched the bacon from him and popped it neatly in her mouth.

"I know. I'm working on that," Daniel said, continuing with his meal. "So... can I still take you to dinner or meet you for brunch every so often? Or will that be too... distracting?"

"Well, I had every intention of seeing you more often than that," she said. "I'd like to meet with you a couple of times a week to pick your brain for tips and tricks of the publishing business. Fill in some of the details, bounce some ideas off of you... that sort of thing."

"Oh yeah?" said Daniel. He leaned forward on the table and gave her a smoldering look. "You think I'm going to allow you to just use me for my vast wealth of knowledge and experience, without compensation?" He waggled his eyebrows a little.

"Oh, I can compensate you, Mr. Meade," she said in a voice low and flirtatious. Then more matter-of factually, "As a consultant." Daniel clutched his chest and leaned back in his chair in mock anguish. "Oh, you wound me, m'lady," he said in a terrible British accent. She giggled, and he laughed out loud.

After the waiter had cleared their plates, Daniel took a little bundle from inside the bag and placed it on the table in from of her.

"Daniel," she sighed. "You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to. It's not much, I'm unemployed you know," he said.

She pulled the string off the bundle and the tissue paper around it fell away, revealing an elegant miniature snowglobe of the Tower of London. "It's beautiful," she said, beaming. "That's really thoughtful... thank you."

"Just a little something for your desk at work," he said. "I wasn't sure if you brought all your usual knicknacks to your new office."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Daniel squeezed back. "I'm not giving up on us," he said. "If I have to wait three months to show you I'm for real... I'll wait." She blinked wordlessly as he interlaced his fingers with hers. The intensity of the way he looked at her made her a little breathless. _I'm getting to her,_ he thought.

She flushed and gently pulled away, just as the waiter arrived with the check. Before Daniel could reach for his wallet, Betty popped a credit card into the check folder and handed it back. Daniel started to protest, but Betty wasn't having any of it. "I invited you," she said firmly.

They rose to leave. Daniel grabbed up his bag, then offered his arm to Betty. She took it, smiling and they headed out toward the street. "So how about a little sightseeing today," Daniel offered hopefully.

"I can't," she said, sounding genuinely disappointed. "I'm not even close to completing my to-do list this weekend."

"No problem. I'd better get cracking on these, anyway." said Daniel, motioning with the bag. "How will I win you over without my vast fortunes?"

"I'm not into you for your money," she protested, without thinking. A hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she said.

"Aha! So you admit you _are_ into me!" Daniel was jubilant.

"I admit to being... uh, somewhat intrigued by where this might lead." she said in a casual tone.

"Intrigued, eh?" Daniel said, pulling her close. Betty threw her head back to look up at him. He bent his head and pecked her lightning quick on the lips and just as quickly, released her. "You ain't seen nothin' yet." It was Betty's turn to watch as Daniel strolled jauntily away, whistling.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Lucky I had lots of time on my hands tonight with a toddler that wouldn't sleep and the one in my belly jumping around like a loon._

_So, I'm considering how risqué I want to go with the story, but it's only a consideration. I'm planning at least three more chapters before it gets to that level. It would be tough to go that route and try to keep them in character, not to mention there is no shortage of well-written Detty smut out there. Maybe a love scene but keep it tasteful? Let me know when you review, and thanks so much for reading. -MS_

Chapter 4

Daniel was sitting in a coffee shop a short walk from Betty's office building. Too much time by himself made him feel even lonelier for her company, so he had scoped out several resources to alleviate his solitude. He'd done the many of the tourist attractions on his own. He would have preferred Betty's go with him, but he was content in the knowledge that soon he would see it all anew through her eyes, not to mention he could dazzle her as her personal tour guide. Once he ran out of the larger tourist-y attractions, he'd gone to libraries, shops, and public parks. He sat across from a playground one afternoon and practiced his guitar so he could be be cheered by the background noise of happy children playing. But Daniel wasn't enjoying himself at the moment.

_This 'starting over' thing is gonna be a lot harder than I thought._

Several weeks had passed. Betty had been kind enough to take an evening to give him a quick brush-up on interview techniques; Daniel lacked experience being the interviewee. He'd hashed out a respectable resume on his own and managed to score a few meet-and-greets with high profile media publishers, along with a few smaller ones. The experience had taught him a few things. Daniel learned that while his family name was powerful enough to open doors, but it didn't necessarily mean anything was behind them. He suspected that some of the bigger names were just curious about that Meade kid who threw away his career to, do what exactly?_ Start over and be near the woman I can't live without?_ Noble enough rationale, but just how do you phrase that in a interview so that it doesn't come out sounding impulsive and irresponsible? Add to this the fact the the industry as a whole was suffering from a severe economic downturn and Daniel felt like he was spinning his wheels.

_What did I expect? I've been an Editor-In-Chief of a fashion magazine for four years, shared the responsibility for two years and have no prior experience other than being born into the Meade family. My Harvard degree may as well be a BS in BS for all the good it does me now._

When Daniel informed his mother of his plans to relocate, she told him there would soon be an opening with Meade Publications in the UK. The publisher was planning on retirement within the year but Claire could, as she put it, "offer to to gild the gentleman's golden parachute quite nicely" if he would step down early. It was a tempting offer, but one Daniel felt would not be keeping in the spirit of his renewal. With several weeks behind him with little to show for it, he found himself seriously questioning the wisdom of that decision. Not that he was hurting for money, far from it. Claire had been generous with his severance, adding to it a respectable bonus and topping it off with an impressive personal check as a gift. Combined with his own savings, he could easily coast on the funds and live in the lap of luxury for quite some time, but he was trying to be a better man than that.

True to her word, Betty had little time for anything other than work during the run up to the launch of her new magazine. They communicated daily via phone and email and they had their working lunch meetings, but Betty's schedule increasingly prohibited anything else but the occasional evening out. Even then, she would insist they dine casually because of the amount of time involved in going out for a five-course meal in a fancy restaurant. He offered to cook for her at home one night, but he sensed Betty was apprehensive about being alone with him in too intimate a setting. _I could really go for getting Betty alone in an intimate setting_, thought Daniel. He made a concentrated effort to set aside the accompanying feelings and desire that percolated into his consciousness, a technique that had been getting a lot of practice of late.

It had been difficult being as close as as they were, but for him also to maintain enough distance so as not to distract her from her monumental task. He valued being her main source of support, but there were times... like an evening not too long ago when work pressures had put Betty in an overwhelmed state, doubting her capability. Add to that the homesickness she felt for her family, and Betty was incredibly vulnerable in that moment. Old Daniel would have meddled or tried to resolve the work issue for her. Old Daniel would have tried to make it better with a kiss, followed by the best physical remedy he could administer. Keeping himself in check and not defaulting to his factory settings was proving to be one of the hardest things he'd ever done. But he was going to do this the right way, and not give Betty any reason to doubt his motives. The only romantic gesture he allowed himself was a weekly delivery of flowers to her home and her office.

Checking the time, he realized he should head over to her office in a couple of minutes. Daniel downed the rest of the coffee he was drinking, paid at the counter and hustled down the street.

* * *

The support staff was accustomed to Daniel as a regular visitor, so he was waved in past reception. Betty's assistant had already stepped out for lunch, but the bags containing his and Betty's order were right on her desk. He breathed in the aroma, _mmm Thai today_. He picked them up and entered her office. Betty sat at her desk, glasses on her nose, head down in concentration, carefully perusing bluelines of her first issue. "Why hello, Ms. Suarez... ready for lunch?" he said, cheerily.

She held up the fingers of one hand, signaling one more minute. Daniel busied himself setting out their lunch set out on the table in the corner of her office, then he plopped down in one of the chairs, tipped it back and watched her work with a little smile on his face.

The minute passed and then, "There! Done!" Betty announced. She stood and gave him a triumphant smile, and came around the desk and put her arms out for a hug. "Congratulate me," she said proudly. Daniel wasted no time in crossing the room and wrapping her up into a big hug. "What's the occasion?" he asked.

"I don't think it's too early to celebrate, but I just finished checking over the final blues for our _flawless_ first issue... at this rate, we could have this issue on the stands two weeks early!" Betty was proud and exuberant, practically jumping up and down with excitement.

Caught up in her enthusiasm, Daniel held her at arms length. "Aw, Betty that's awesome! I knew you could do it!" He pulled her into another hug, practically swinging her off her feet. He was genuinely happy for her but... _time was slowing down... her head was back, mouth open with laughter... she looked so good, smelled so good... she was looking at him... it would be so easy to... easy to... _Daniel put her down quickly and took a step back, rubbing his palms together awkwardly. "Um, what should we do to celebrate?"

Betty was absently straightening her jacket so Daniel wouldn't see her blushing. "Um, well, I'm going to want to look them over once again before signing off, but let's say we eat now? I'm starving!"

"Me too!" Daniel said, a little too quickly.

They sat and began digging in to their meal. After a moment, the awkwardness dissipated and it was just like old times... almost.

"As always, thanks for the flowers," she said, looking over at the colorful tropical display.

"Glad you like it. That arrangement reminded me of that old outfit of yours," smiled Daniel.

"Oh yeah? Which one?" quizzed Betty.

"All of them," said Daniel.

They shared a laugh. "So how's the job hunt going?" asked Betty, switching gears.

"I guess this means the end of my consulting gig," said Daniel, obviously redirecting.

"Yes, officially, but you didn't answer my question," said Betty, pointedly.

Daniel sighed. "You know, Betty... it ain't easy out there."

"Oooh, profound. Hello, girl from Queens, have we met?" she joshed.

"It's your fault you know, making the impossible, possible. You make it all look so easy," said Daniel.

"Thanks for that, but I've been really lucky too, don't you think?"

Daniel shrugged. "You haven't gotten anything you haven't deserved. Not like me."

"I didn't exactly get my position as Assistant to the Editor-In-Chief of Mode Magazine on my stellar credentials," said Betty.

"It may not have been the reason, but you were qualified," said Daniel. He was officially uncomfortable now.

"To work for a _fashion magazine_? Come on, Daniel."

"You were more qualified than a rich jerk whose daddy gave him a job, half-expecting him to fu..." Daniel bit off the swear, got up and started pacing. "He didn't expect me to succeed, Betty. The reason I did have any semblance of success was because of you." _Nice going_, thought Daniel, disgusted with himself. _Now she's looking at you like she feels sorry for you. Win her heart through pity._

"It may have taken you a little while, but you met that challenge, Daniel," Betty said, seriously. "You gained the respect of everyone who worked for you." _Except Wilhelmina_, they both thought.

He stopped pacing, his back to her. She wanted to reach out to touch him. "It doesn't change the fact that I got to where I got through nepotism." His voice was bitter.

"If you take advantage of the opportunities that come your way and you live up to them, then tell me, how are you not worthy? You think that I wouldn't have worked every connection, every network, pulled any favor I could have, in order to get a step up? My dad, he got a position as head chef because of a competition on a reality tv program! He didn't go to the Culinary Institute, he didn't work his way up the ladder. He got a _break_. Does it make his accomplishment less worthy because of how he got it? When fortune drops an advantage in your lap, it matters what you _do_ with it, and whether you were undeserving matters only if you throw it away."

After a moment, Daniel hung his head and turned around slowly. "Pretty stupid of me giving up the editor position to Wilhelmina, huh?" he said, sheepishly.

Betty was diplomatic. "Well, where I come from, you don't quit one job unless you've got another waiting in the wings, but Daniel... _you don't have to be most people." _She crossed over to where he was to take his hand. She squeezed it supportively. "Take advantage of the advantage you have. Be a Meade. You've already earned it."

He squeezed back. "Thanks, Betty. You know, I've been trying all this time to be here for you, but as always... you're amazing, do you know that?"

"Yes, I am!" said Betty, with a little shimmy to punctuate her words. "I'm about to get a new magazine on the stands, two weeks early! Yay me!" Daniel laughed out loud. "And I'm _fully_ aware of how supportive you've been of me all these weeks," she continued, smoothing the front of his shirt with her free hand. "So I want to ask you... would you be my date for the launch party? It should prove to be a very exciting night..."

Daniel was gaping at the effect her obvious flirting was having on him. "Y-yes, of course." he stammered.

"Good," she said, pivoting back to her desk. "Now I have to get back to work. After I give this a second look, I'll be meeting with Mr. Dunne... and I shan't be late!" she said, adding a British lilt to the last part."

"I'm late, I'm late..." recited Daniel. "You sound like the White Rabbit."

"Stick with me, buddy. I'll show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." Betty immediately made a _I-can't-believe-I-just-said-that-out-loud_ face and started giggling uncontrollably at her uncharacteristic double-entendré.

Daniel backed out of her office door, wagging his finger at her in the air. "You're gonna pay for that, young lady," he said.

Betty slowly lowered herself into her seat. "Promise?" she said.


	5. Chapter 5

_So appreciating all the feedback, so please, keep it coming! I'm still deciding how racy I want to get with the story, but the characters are so very important to me, so do know that wherever I go, I'm going to do my best to keep within those boundaries. Hope you enjoy this next installment! - MS_

Chapter 5

Betty met with Lindsay Dunne in his office. Although he was the most powerful publisher in all of Britan, his office was of relatively modest size and decor, nothing like the cavernous spaces that were the offices of Mode. They wrapped up their discussion of the press conference to precede the launch gala for _SAGE, _London's new journal for the astute youth.

"Two weeks early," said Lindsay, removing his glasses and shaking his head in disbelief. An advance copy of SAGE lay on the desk in front of him. "Perhaps you should pace your accomplishments, Betty. You don't want me walking around with the idea that my youngest editor's baseline performance is that of a miracle worker."

Betty smiled proudly. "You've allowed me free reign of top-notch resources, not to mention all you did to help me put together a truly amazing team. If they maintain this level of dedication, there's no telling what we can do!"

"If there's one thing I've learned in my vast experience, it's that a team is only as dedicated as it's leader. You have more than exceeded my expectations," He nodded approvingly in Betty's direction.

"Thank you, Mr. Dunne," she said, accepting the complement graciously.

"We've been over this, Betty. Call me Lindsay... and that's final."

"Yes, sir... Lindsay."

"So," Lindsay said, stretching back in his leather executive chair, "You've had some time to get settled in our fair city. I imagine you haven't had much time for a social life, based on your work output?"

"As a matter of fact, a... um... an old friend showed up a few weeks ago. I've actually been utilizing him for consulting purposes..."

"Yes, yes... I'm aware. Daniel Meade, your old boss from New York City."

"Um. That's correct, sir." _Where is he going with this?_ Betty wondered.

"Relax, Betty... I'm just making conversation. Not trying to pry, but I do make it my business to go through the expenses, and I saw you were utilizing him as a consultant." Lindsay's voice and face only showed bemused interest, but Betty's mind was racing.

"Er... ah, no... well, we haven't quite figured out... we're just friends," Betty stammered, looking everywhere but at her proper British boss. She didn't know what the right thing was to say. _OMG, this can't look very good to him, professionally... me and Daniel. What was I thinking? What must _he_ be thinking? That Daniel and I were an item the whole time I was at Mode?_

"The parade of flowers to your office says otherwise," said Lindsay, with a knowing smile.

"Um, is there an issue or something that this is pertaining to...?" Betty began, defensively.

"Damn. Where are my manners? I've gone and embarrassed you. My sincere apologies, Betty. I'm going to catch hell from the wife when I tell her, quite frankly. I'm not good this "getting the scoop" nonsense."

Betty was completely confused now. "Wha-?"

"My wife. She's a big fan of Mode. She thinks Daniel Meade is, and I quote, _quite a catch_ and I think she's hoping you would bring him as a date to the gala... that's all. She calls it living vicariously through others, but as you see, I'm no good at this sort of thing. I hope you'll forgive me the awkwardness. I didn't mean anything by it."

Betty, disarmed by Lindsay's honesty, finally relaxed a bit and smiled. "Well, yes, I am bringing him... as my date. We're trying to figure out everything else though, but I'll keep you posted if that makes your wife happy."

Lindsay waved dismissively in the air. "You never mind that. I've infringed enough on your personal life. You should have just told me to mind my business."

"Hakuna Matata," Betty said, glad to be done with it. Lindsay's expression was curious. "It means "no worries." Betty said. "Er, stupid Disney movie reference, never mind me."

"Ah, very well," said Lindsay, "However, if Mr. Meade is planning on sticking around for a bit, I might have a business proposition for him. If you are bringing him to the party, perhaps we can have an informal chat there and I can suss out his interest."

Betty visibly brightened. "That would be fantastic! Mr. Dun... I mean, Lindsay," she corrected. "I'm certain that Daniel would be very interested!"

"Good! Well then, I shall see you tomorrow for the unveiling of our company's newest title, and later at the party." Lindsay rose from behind his desk. "I will be taking the rest of the day off, as I think you should as well. You've more than earned it!"

"Thank you, Lindsay, see you tomorrow." Betty hurried out of Lindsay's office to head downstairs to her own, to pack it in for the day. _A business proposition for Daniel! He is going to be so thrilled! I'm going to have to keep this to myself, let him be surprised when Lindsay approaches him with the proposal. It will be great!__  
__  
_The party wasn't until tomorrow evening, but Betty felt electric with excitement. She wanted to celebrate _tonight_. She picked up her mobile and shot a text to Daniel.

**BS: Dinner at my place tonight? I'm cooking...****  
****  
****DM: Absolutely! What time?****  
****  
****BS: Come over about 7 and bring a bottle of champagne. I feel like a pre-launch celebration!****  
****  
****DM: Will be there with bells on...**

_Perhaps I will feel like ringing some bells_, thought Betty, smiling to herself.

Betty made a simple meal of roast chicken, steamed rice and a tossed salad. She had stopped by a dessert shop on her way home and picked up two servings of chocolate mousse cake. Her homemade raspberry sauce was chilling in the fridge, just waiting to be spooned over the cake before serving. She set her little iPod speakers to a mix of soft, jazzy tunes, including some of her new favorites from songs played at Hilda's wedding. She set her little dinette table for two and then breezed into her bedroom to change.

Although her self-imposed schedule had been hectic in the weeks since Daniel arrived, she had given a great deal of thought to the changes in their relationship and what that meant. Daniel had been stellar in giving Betty her space, while still keeping her aware that he had feelings for her. He didn't pressure her, didn't make her feel guilty or obligated for choosing to focus on her job responsibilities... he simply consistently kept her awash in feelings of support, acceptance and... _love_. She _felt_ loved. She was warming to him in a big way... excited by his presence and by seeing him in this new, _very_ attractive light. Her abrupt protest to her boss aside, while Betty and Daniel were best friends, she knew now that there was more to that.

And tonight Betty wanted to _explore the "more."_

She chose a casual outfit, just a slim fit pair of twill pants and a stretchy faux-jewel button down top. Betty toyed with the top buttons, _open or closed?_ She elected closed, as_ va-va-voom _wasn't quite her style. She painted her toenails a deep red, put on a touch of pink lipgloss and a fresh coat of mascara. Just after 7, there was a knock on the door. She bent over, ran her fingers through her hair from behind, flung it back, took a deep breath and opened the door.

There stood Daniel, handsome as ever, yet trying to appear as if he were leaning casually against the doorway. Betty noticed his not-so-subtle wobbling and burst into giggles. "Were you expecting paparazzi? You look like you're trying out for Mode's Next Top Model!_" _She turned and padded towards the kitchen; the nervousness she felt melting away with the absurdity of the moment.

Daniel straightened, and followed her in, closing the door behind himself. "Hey," he said, pretending to put on a huffy air. "Is that what I get for trying to impress you?" he said as he followed her into the kitchen, placing two bottles on the counter.

Betty was still giggling. "All you were missing was the Zoolander pucker face..." and she had to stop as she was nearly doubled over from her own joke. Daniel began to laugh too. He pointed at her. "Why I oughta..." he said, stepping into her space.

"You oughta what," Betty challenged, eyes bright with laughter.

The moment had gone from zero to sixty... relaxed to crackling with energy in the span of a heartbeat. Their eyes locked. Daniel towered over Betty in the tiny space of her kitchen; she never realized how much taller he was with her in bare feet. He placed his hands on her hips, and began to slide them up the sides of her body. Suddenly, Betty felt herself being lifted up seemingly effortlessly and set atop her own kitchen counter, Daniel's hands slowly slid down to the curve of her hips once again. He stepped closer to the counter, between Betty's knees as she sat. Their faces were closer, though she still turned her long-lashed eyes up at his, hooded with passion. She could just catch a whiff of mint from his breath and feel on her cheek how his breathing had shallowed, as did hers. He began to dip his head at the same time as she began to raise her chin. _Oh... my_, Betty thought, as her lashes began to flutter closed.

"Aren't you going to offer me a drink," Daniel said.

Betty's eyes snapped open. "Huh?"

Daniel was leaning against the opposite counter, a _cat-that-ate-the-canary little smile on his face!_ Betty's eyes narrowed and she pressed her lips together in a little smile in spite of herself. _He's gonna play hard to get... make me _work_ for this, is that it?_

She slid down from the counter, smoothed her sweater and composed her expression. "Of course. Where _are_ my manners?" She walked over to where Daniel stood, pulling a folding stepladder from between the wall and the fridge as she went. She unfolded the ladder and stood it right in front of him and began to climb, grabbing his shoulder for balance as she ascended. She was face to face with him, when she smiled sweetly and took one more step up. Daniel swallowed as the swell of Betty's full cotton-clad bosom filled his field of vision, the top buttons straining _ever... so... gently_ as she reached for something behind him...

Betty began to descend the stepladder, utilizing Daniel's shoulder again for balance on the way down. He blew out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and licked his suddenly dry lips as Betty hopped off the last step and set two wineglasses on the counter next to the bottles he'd brought. She carefully folded the ladder and placed it back in it's hiding place. "What would you like?" she said, turning her head to look over her shoulder at him.

"I - I brought a bottle of Pinot Grigio along with the champagne," Daniel said shakily, as if wakened suddenly from a dream. "Um, whichever you want to start with." Betty smiled inwardly. _I can give as good as you can._

"Well, the wine will go great with dinner since we're having chicken," Betty said firmly. "We can have the champagne with dessert. Now why don't we sit and eat while the food is still hot." Betty padded out the kitchen with the glasses again in one hand and a wine opener in the other. "Bring the bottle, will ya?" Daniel's eyes glued themselves to her figure as it sashayed out of the kitchen. He started to follow, turned on his heel, remembering the bottle of wine and then followed her out to the table.

During dinner, their conversation turned to the launch of SAGE, the press conference and the party. While he listened, Daniel admired Betty's eclectic home decor. It was as though the patterns and textures of Betty's fashions of the past had come to life in throw pillow covers, shaggy bright area rugs and shelves full of colorful and cheesy knicknacks. Daniel said little as Betty just about recited her statement for the press conference from memory, mainly because he was busy stuffing his face with the surprisingly sumptuous meal. The chicken was rubbed with a paste of fresh garlic, aromatic oregano and crushed peppercorns, adding just the right amount of kick. The intense flavors of the chicken were set off nicely by the plain white rice and vegetables, and accompanied perfectly by the wine, the bottle just about finished. Betty was recalling Lindsay Dunne's praise for her work and how great it felt receiving it.

"I'm not surprised. I saw your work firsthand, got to be the beneficiary of it. Mr. Dunne's a smart man," Daniel said. He drained his glass, feeling comfortably sated and relaxed.

Betty clapped her hands together, clearly bursting with yet even more good news. "I shouldn't even tell you, but y'know I just have to! But first, let me get dessert, while you open the champagne!" She grabbed up the dinner plates and hustled off to the kitchen, as Daniel stood and got the champagne from the makeshift ice bucket Betty had set up in a ceramic flowerpot. He began working on loosing the cork.

Betty's voice came from the kitchen. "Mr. Dunne wants to meet you at tomorrow night's party! He has a business proposition for you!" She heard the cork pop, then silence. "Did you hear me?" She licked off some raspberry sauce from her finger, picked up the dessert plates and headed back for the table. "Daniel?" She stopped short in the doorway. The bottle hung limply in Daniel's right hand and his face was like stone. "Daniel, what is it?" she asked as she slowly placed the dessert plates on the table.

"You think I can't do it," he said, his voice low. He placed the bottle carefully back in the bucket.

"What are you talking about?" Betty asked, incredulously.

"You think I can't do it." Daniel said, louder. "You think I can't find my own way? That I can't find a job on my own?" Daniel's voice had that bitter edge again, but now it had the ring of an accusation.

"Daniel, we've been through this! If an opportunity comes along..."

"Right... it's _one thing_ when an opportunity just _comes along_, but you had to go and tell your _boss_ about me? I thought you believed in me a little more than that." Daniel's folded his arms across his chest, closing himself off.

Betty began to shake her head, panic-stricken. "No... no! That's not what happened! He brought _you_ up in conversation, not me! He knew I was consulting with you and..."

Daniel was barely listening. "Probably wants to get in his shot too... everybody laugh at the Meade kid who threw his career away for... for... oh, forget it." He spun on his heel towards the door.

"Wait, just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Betty asked, rushing after him. She was completely agitated and annoyed now.

Daniel whirled on her, his eyes flashing. "You know, Betty... I know you miss your family and miss having people around that you feel that you have to take care of all the time, but I'm a _grown man_. I can take care of myself." Daniel's voice was sharp.

Betty's eyes widened. "I think you should go now," she said, feeling her throat tighten and the beginnings of tears prick at her eyes. She grabbed the door handle and flung it open. Without another word, Daniel stalked out the door. Betty slammed it behind him. Angry and bewildered, she walked over to the couch and let herself fall down heavily upon it.

A stab of recognition ran through Betty's chest, causing her to sit up straight. The opening notes of piano music... the song she and Daniel had danced to at the wedding... begin to play. Her vision blurred with tears and she rose and shut off the player. Tears began to roll down her face as she furiously scrolled through the iPod selections and deleted it from her playlist.

She blew out the little tea light on the table and shut off the lamp in the main room, carrying the untouched plates of dessert and the champagne to the kitchen. She dumped it, cake and all into the sink, and poured out the champagne over it before dropping the bottle in after it.

Betty shuffled off to her darkened bedroom and sat on her bed, just as her chest began to heave with sobs.


	6. Chapter 6

_So sorry I have been remiss in my updating. Promise I will follow this chapter up quickly. - MS_

Chapter 6

Daniel managed to cling to his anger all the way back to the hotel room. Once he closed the door behind him, however, the systemic dismantling of his righteous indignation began.

_What the hell did you just do?_

He sat in the chair in the corner, his right knee bouncing with anxious energy. After all this time, why didn't Betty trust that he could find his way in the world without her help?

_After all this time you spent trying to build her trust in you, you fly off the handle and stomp out of her apartment like an ass because of... what? Your pride?_ He hopped out of the chair and began pacing the length of the room.

How many people completely turn their lives around in a matter of a few weeks? She didn't even give him a chance! _  
__  
__She was trying to explain... _you_ didn't give her a chance._ He went into the bathroom, gazed at his reflection in the mirror.  
_  
__What did Amanda say? "... you're intimidated by her success..." And what did you say later, at Betty's blog award presentation? "... she's done more in three and a half years than I've done in my entire life..."__  
__  
__Idiot! You flew across the Atlantic to be with her and to start over... and you are failing at both.__  
__  
_He stalked out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, his head in his hands. The ever-increasing feeling that he had really messed up this time was making him queasy, but more than that, Daniel needed that little voice in his head to shut up already. He reached over to the phone next to the bed and punched the button for room service. A bottle of single malt Scotch should do the trick...

* * *

Betty woke up next morning to eyes puffy from last night's tears. _Fantastic_, she thought. _A _great_ day for swollen eyes. It's only going to be the biggest moment of your career this afternoon. _She shuffled off to the kitchen to get the cold pack she kept in the freezer. She sighed when she spied the mess in the sink. Betty didn't usually leave last night's chores to the next morning. She busied herself cleaning up while she replayed the events of the previous evening in her head.

She knew Daniel spent a great deal of time on his search for job prospects. She knew he had attended meetings with various publishers, but nothing seemed to have come of it. The details of such meetings were vague to her because Daniel never filled in the result with more than a changing of the subject. Betty, being so insanely busy up until now, had neglected her natural tendency to press for detail and since Daniel wasn't volunteering much she'd let it go. Betty frowned at the realization that she knew so little about how that goal was going for Daniel. Clearly it was not going well, because when Betty mentioned Mr. Dunne's interest in talking to Daniel, his demeanor flipped like a switch. She had no idea he would react like that. She dried the dishes she had just washed and began putting them away.

Nevertheless, he had no right to lose it like that with her. Betty was used to being a source of support and inspiration to Daniel, but over the time they had known each other, there were definitely more than a few times where he came off in a way that made Betty feel that he _expected_ her to consider _his_ best interests first. In their early years, she had made excuses for his behavior, brushing it off because he was the boss, first and foremost. When Betty thought back on those incidents now, they formed a pattern that was making her increasingly angry.  
_  
__Daniel flipped when I didn't clue him into Wilhelmina's deception of Bradford right away, never mind that I was cooperating to get her help getting my father back into the country, hell, he fired me... he completely lost it when I chose to return to Mode rather than languish in the T&A purgatory of Player Magazine... then there was the blog debacle... granted, I shouldn't have posted my disappointment in his lack of support, but he completely freaked that general knowledge of his behavior was going to ruin his reputation... and burning my contract termination letter in front of my face? That was SO immature! And now this? After all the missed holidays, birthdays and setting aside of my own ambitions and needs for him over the years? How many times did I pull his ass out the fire personally and professionally... not to mention all I've done to help his family! Babysit his mom back when she was drinking, hide her and her friend Yoga as fugitives in my bedroom... promise his dad I would take care of Daniel on his deathbed, repeatedly running interference for Daniel's behind, keeping him from ruining his life with opportunistic, inappropriate, too young and even crazy women, hell, I almost got burned alive by one of them!_

Betty managed to work herself up to a white-hot fury. _How dare he? How dare he question her motives? _

A chime signaled someone trying to call her on her cell. Exasperated, Betty checked the screen. It was her father's cell, but it was way early for him to be calling. Her earlier frustration forgotten, she answered. "Hello?"

The deep, warm accented voice on the line instantly caused a wave of homesickness to wash away the drama. "_Buenos días, mija_... how are you feeling this morning? You have a big day ahead of you!"

"Oh Papi... it's so good to hear your voice... but what are you doing up so early?"

"Now don't you worry about that. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and your accomplishments. We all are," Ignacio said.

"Papi, I wish there was some way you could be here for this," Betty tried to keep her voice steady around the sudden lump in her throat. "But I understand," she said quickly. "You have responsibilities at the restaurant, Hilda and Bobby are just getting settled in their new place and Justin's got to be in the middle of finals at this point."

"You know we would be there if there were any way, sweetheart."

"Yes, Papi. I appreciate you getting up so early to call me. Please go get some sleep. Give my love to Hilda, Justin and Bobby, please?"

"Absolutely. They are all so excited for you too, so you have fun celebrating tonight. And make sure you eat something! Don't go disappearing on me!" said Ignacio, with a smile in his voice.

Betty smiled too. "I'm eating just fine and I will take care. You too, Papi. _Te quiero_."

"_Te quiero_." The call disconnected. Betty stood looking at her phone in her hand for a moment, then looked up into the light streaming through the small window over her sink. She stood up a little taller and raised her chin as she took in the brightness of the new day. This business with Daniel could wait. She had a big day ahead of her.

_Up and at 'em._

* * *

Daniel awoke. It was way too bright in the room. He must have forgotten to close the curtains last night. Then he heard the tap-tap-tapping at his hotel door that had awakened him. _Betty?_

"Just a minute," he called, sitting up quickly. His heavy head protested, but Daniel forced himself up, swiping at his gritty eyes and disentangling himself from the covers. _No nausea_, thankfully. He stumbled over his carelessly cast-off shoes on his way to the bathroom. "Just a sec," he called, splashing water on his face. He took a quick swig of mouthwash and spat it out, toweled off his face. Snatching his robe off the hook, he clumsily pulled it around his boxer-clad body as he flung open the door.

"Hello, dear," said Claire Meade. She was leaning against the wall opposite the door, calmly examining her nails. "Shame on you keeping your mother waiting."

"Mom!" exclaimed Daniel, still struggling with the tie on his robe. "What are you doing here?"

"I got here late last night," she said. "I left you a message at the desk, which you obviously never got." She pushed herself off the wall and gestured toward the room. "Is it safe for me to come in, or do you have a visitor?" she said bemusedly.

"No, no, no... come in," Daniel said, still a bit frazzled. He embraced his mother as she entered, her perfume exotic and familiar. And beginning to induce the inevitable post drinking headache. "So again, what are you doing in London, Mom?" He still absently fiddled with his robe tie.

Claire, the embodiment of elegance and poise, glided past her son and regarded the disarray in the room. "It's on inside out, dear."

Daniel finally looked down at himself, flushing with embarrassment. "Go ahead, turn it right. I'll keep my back turned," said Claire. "Even if I used to change your diapers, " she teased sweetly.

Daniel righted himself, finally getting the robe tied properly. "Mom, what's going on?" he said, with an edge of annoyance in his voice. He was happy to see her, but the combination of last night's fight with Betty and this morning's hangover in progress, he was not exactly patient.

Claire sat carefully in his desk chair, crossed a leg and leaned back. "I came in on the private jet last night with Betty's family for her big premiere," she said. "I thought it would be a wonderful surprise for her, don't you?"

"That's awesome..." Daniel said, genuinely impressed. "She will love you forever for getting them here for this. Where are they now?"

"Right here in this hotel," she said. "Ignacio, Hilda and Justin. I offered to bring their respective partners, but it was hard enough getting just those three to accept." Her eyes roamed the room, inevitably falling upon the bottle of Scotch. She got up, walked over and picked it up, hefting the half-empty bottle of in her hand. "I thought I detected the stench of yesterday's scotch and today's Listerine. Ah, memories!" she said with a wry smile. Setting the bottle down, she turned to face her son, arms crossed, an expression of concern crossing her features. "Daniel. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, too quickly. He ran a hand through his hair and sat heavily on the bed. "Uh, no. I think I messed up with Betty last night. Big time."

"Ah. Did you come to that conclusion before or after you crawled into the bottle?"

"Mom, it hasn't been easy trying to reinvent myself into a self-made man." Daniel pressed his fingertips to his temples, rubbing in circles.

"I didn't think it would be, but I respect the hell out of you for trying. I bet Betty does too."

"That's the thing. I'm not so sure she does. She said her boss had a business proposition for me."

"How horrible," Claire declared, her voice light.

"Mom, please," Daniel dropped his hands. "The last thing I want is for someone, especially Betty, to feel like they have to ease the way for me! I'm trying to make a run at a career on my own! To have her go to her boss about me... having Betty not believe in me..." he trailed off.

"You're intimidated by her success." Claire stated.

"Didn't you get the memo? Seems to be the popular theory these days," Daniel asked sarcastically.

Claire let that go. "Has Betty ever given you reason to doubt her faith in your ability?" she asked.

"No," Daniel answered, sounding every bit of twelve years old to his mother's ears. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his head down, looking at his hands clasped together in front of him.

Claire stood and walked over to a carafe of water on the desk and poured a glass. "When you finally settle down with the right woman and give me some damn grandchildren already, you'll realize that there is a common goal among parents... to give our children an easier time in the world than we had coming up ourselves. To some extent your father and I tried to do this, but because of our mutual... dysfunctions, I fear we did you and Alex at the time, a real disservice." Claire rustled in her little purse, took out a pill box. "Yes, we did the best we could, but as I think you're pretty aware now, your parents were very imperfect people who were very absorbed by their own problems. You know your father and I loved you and Alexis as best we could, but we didn't always show it in the ways that you needed us to. Money and material things can't replace guidance and support."

She walked over to the bed where Daniel sat in his defeated posture, ran her fingers through his already sleep-mussed hair, and sat next to him. She smiled at this man that would always be her little boy. "You've grown so much in recent years, Daniel. Much of that growth you owe to having the good people by your side through thick and thin. I so admire the man you've become while you have had the right kind of support from someone who truly believed in you. Someone who cared about you enough to have your back... above and beyond what an employee would do, and... as long as we are being honest... much more than simply a friend would do."

She handed him two brown pills. Daniel looked at her questioningly. "Ibuprofen," she said. He popped the pills in his mouth, and took the glass of water his mother held out for him.

"So what do I do now?" he said.

She reached out touching his opposite cheek, turning Daniel's slightly stubbled face to look at her.

"That girl has feelings for you, Daniel. It took you almost losing Betty to realize how you felt about her. Please don't let your pride, or your jealousy of her ambition and accomplishments get in the way of the truth."

"What's that, Mom?" Daniel asked quietly.

"That you love her. And you need her. And you are better with her than apart from her."

Daniel leaned over and rested his head on his mother's shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and kissed his forehead soundly. "Now, enough of this pity party. My son is a man of action!" she announced.

"How do I fix this?" Daniel asked. "I'm supposed to be her date for the launch party and we haven't spoken since I stomped out of her apartment last night."

"I don't have the foggiest idea," Claire said, smoothing her skirt as she stood. "I have my hands full keeping the Suarez family from literally bursting until the party tonight, so you're on your own with Betty. You better put every ounce of that charm you inherited from your father to use, though... if after three months of staring moon-eyed at her, you topped it off by behaving like an ass, this could be your last chance with her."

Daniel stood too, taking a deep breath. "You know, she tried to explain and I didn't even give her a chance. I'm so embarrassed."

"What is it the kids are saying these days? _Sack up, _dear." Claire patted her son's amusingly shocked face and saw herself out.


End file.
